On DVD & Blu-Ray: February 26, 2013

There are several different seeds for several different ideas going on within Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. By the end of the film you will likely even find yourself wondering what exactly the point of it all was, if there was a point at all. Of course there is a point, as perplexing or scatterbrained as it may sometimes seem, there is most certainly a point. The problem Anderson faces and has likely always faced is in bringing to the screen a platform where he can play with the ideologies, philosophies or spiritual ideas and questions floating around in his head. The problem I've had in dealing with this is that I haven't first become as accustomed to Anderson's work as I might like. I have seen all of his previous films, some even more than once, but none within recent enough memory to where I can recall what their influences might be on this latest work. Though the visual style is elevated even from his last acclaimed masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, the story seems more in line with the questions the director was asking himself around the time of Magnolia. The film should be taken on its own terms despite the fact it will always be part of the Anderson canon and constantly compared to his previous and forthcoming films. This may be the reason I decided not to go back and re-watch even the two aforementioned films. I needed to take in The Master with a clean slate, forget what everyone was saying about it, dismiss the hype even and let the movie play out in front of me with no preconceived notions of what I wanted it to be. Walking out of the film I was more than just satisfied with the final product, but completely fascinated by what I'd just experienced. It was certainly a summary, a concentration of many ideas with no certain answers, but it was also something much more than that. It was an experience to take in and one I don't think I've ever had in a movie theater before. A

I'm all for metaphoric messages and artistic representation through the medium of film, especially when at the core of its purpose it has something to do with the love of cinema, but I can't say that I enjoyed the experience that is Holy Motors. There is simply something too sporadic about it, something too unfocused that did not appeal to my senses and I am usually good with this type of weird, artsy stuff. I embrace it and find the reason, the symbolism, the voice of the piece. I have no problem doing any of this and with such a negative review of a film so many seem to be celebrating I will likely be condemned of not knowing what I need to know to be writing about film. That I simply do not "get" what the director is trying to say and that I am not well versed enough to understand the many themes and philosophical meanderings that are explored here, but if the film was to accomplish anything in its freedom of creativity it would likely have been to leave an impression of any kind on its audience and Holy Motors left me with nothing. I felt more bewildered than filled with wonder; I was engaged most when Kylie Minogue appeared briefly and let out a musical number which was somewhat fantastic but then it ends and again, I am left to wonder what exactly is the point of Oscar, the main characters, assignments and what are we to take from them. It's all kind of weird and surreal and it follows no rules in the way of plot or characters but the wide open way in which you can interpret all feels more pretentious than it does honest. In that regard alone, I can't understand what all the fuss is about. D

Also Out Today:

The first of Gerard Butler's flops last fall, not many people saw Chasing Mavericks but it did garner better reviews than Playing for Keeps. I really have no desire to see the film but Jeff Bayer of The Scorecard Review commented on the film saying, "It's always odd walking away from an average film, realizing there are plenty of flaws, and still kind of liking it. That's the case with Chasing Mavericks." So, it isn't necessarily a horrible film and might be worth checking out if you're bored on a Sunday afternoon. Have you seen it? What did you think?

Available March 2, 2013

I haven't watched any of the films in the Twilight series since New Moon because that one bored me to the point of no return. I've heard they are supposed to get better after that sour note, but I don't have the faith or interest to find out if that is true or not. The final chapter in the Twilight saga arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD this weekend and Breaking Dawn Part 2 ranks as the third highest in the Rotten Tomatoes system. As it is the finale, the Blu-Ray will include a seven part "making of" documentary titled "Forever: Filming Breaking Dawn Part 2" as well as a featurette about filming both part 1 and 2 of the Breaking Dawn movies at the same time, a music video by Green Day, and audio commentary by director Bill Condon.